Jagat Narain Lal, MA., B.L.
"To-day, there is world-wide talk of international unity, and co-operation
in different spheres of life and activity, e.g., social, cultural, political
and economic, and numerous organised efforts are being made incessantly
in the direction, on different fronts. But, it is indeed, regrettable
that a vast majority among the protagonists of the aforesaid world-wide
movements and activities do not properly appreciate the basic importance
of vegetarianism for the realisation of their respective ideals. In
my humble opinion, if the rational philosophy of vegetarianism is adopted
by the leaders of political, cultural, social, economic and various
such other movements in the world aiming at universal peace, prosperity
and happiness, their onerous tasks will be certainly rendered easy.

The noble ideal of Universal Brotherhood, for the attainment of which
repeated efforts have been made by man, in different ages ever since
the inception of humanity, also demands that the vegetarian movement
should be effectively supported in all the countries of -the world and
by all the sections of their population. Unless the principle of "live
and let live" is followed universally, through the medium of
vegetarianism, the desired Universal Brotherhood remain only a Utopia."

Sardar Mohan Singh.
"The shining lights of this land from Buddha, Mahavira and Guru
Nanak to Mahatma Gandhi in our day, have all been vegetarians. Vegetarianism
in India has never been viewed only as a principle of -dietetics. It
has, in fact, been the hallmark of the Indian way of life. To most Indians,
a faith in Immanent Divinity cannot be reconciled with the slaughter
of living beings for food. Killing of helpless and harmless creatures
merely to satisfy one's palate must surely be re-pugnant to every sensitive
and conscientious believer in God. Vegetarianism is thus a symbol of
man's faith in a loving Creator.

Rashtrapati Rajendra Prasad in his stirring address at the Bombay Session
of the Congress laid his finger unerringly on the cancer that is eating
into the vitals of humanity - lack of respect for life. As he said,
vegetarianism is the answer to the atom and hydrogen bombs. A man who
will not kill a bird or animal will surely not drop a hydrogen bomb
on innocent men and women. A man who recognises the right of even animals
to existence would not be prepared to destroy whole cities through rocket-driven,
death-dealing missiles. Vegetarianism, therefore, is not a mere sentimental
slogan or a principle of dietetics; it is the highway to peace and progress
in the world."

Dr Sampurnanand (Chief Minister, U.P.)
I personally believe that from the point of view of health, vegetarian
diet is definitely superior to non-vegetarian diet. If the animal whose
flesh is eaten had some disease it is bound to enter our system along
with the flesh. If the animal happens to be a mammal its organic structure
will be similar to our own and consequently its in system will be liable
to have flaws similar to those which can exist in the human system.
Diseases which find a nidus in its body can also find a place in our
bodies. Similar chemical action can take place in our bodies as well
and our nerves can be affected in a like manner. Thus the animal whose
flesh we eat can influence our body and mind, and our physical and physiological
activities. No special argument should be necessary in support of this
statement.

Meat-eating cannot be prohibited merely on the ground that the creature
whose flesh is eaten also has life. The thing we call life pervades
the entire universe. No human being can exist without eating, and whatever
he eats will have life in it. That is why it is said "life is also
life's nourishment." It is also possible that every creature might
experience some pain at the time when it is being killed. Dr. Jagdish
Chandra Bose and other scientists doing research in this field have
demonstrated that plants and trees, too, are effected by drugs and that
they react in an abnormal manner when pierced or injured. But there
is difference between one life and another. The feeling of pleasure
or pain is dependent on the nervous system. The more developed and complicated
the nervous system, the more widespread and sharply defined is the feeling.
The nearer a nervous system is to that of human beings the more capable
it is of carrying sensations. Brains similar in construction to the
human brain behave in the same way. It is obvious that, as compared
to invertebrates, -the vertebrates are closer to human bodies in construction.
And among the vertebrates mammals are closer still. That is why the
feelings and sensations of mammals are more like ours. We have to eat
something. But it would be more graceful for us to eat those things
the eating of which involves the least pain to others. From this it
is clear that it is better not to eat things which are ordinarily classed
as living beings, i.e., animals and birds. And even among these, the
more akin the creature is to human beings, the more unacceptable it
should be, because its feelings of pleasure and pain will be similar
to those of human beings.

Shanti Prasad Jain (Managing Director The Times of India)
Though we are not a nation of cent, per cent. vegetarians, yet on the
positive side we have the unique distinction of having in India millions
of families where meat or fish or eggs have been taboo for generations.
Moreover, even among the families taking a non-vegetarian diet there
has been an implicit respect and regard for those who do not take such
diet. Vegetarianism has always carried with it a sense of higher level
of living. Of course, at times there have been vicissitudes to this
way of thinking. With the advent of western education and with a preference
to the western way of living, our young men came to have a feeling that
the so-ca1led physical superiority of the western races had something
to do with their preponderantly animal diet. No less a person than Mahatma
Gandhi, in his youth, was influenced by these thoughts. He has described
the connected incident very graphically in his autobiography. At that
time, and even now, "Protein" was the word that gave a halo
of scientific authority and superiority to all foods -prepared with
meat. We seemed to forget that all the proteins that we need are abundant
in milk, in pulses and in beans. We also forget that our history had
many a vegetarian king and hero whose physical prowess proved to be
more than a match against the best their meat eating adversaries, sometimes
coming from the west."

Muni Shri Jayantilalji
"Not a man but who doesn't seek and endeavour to gain peace and
justice for himself. Yet this same man, avowing one religion or the
other all the time, would most calmly lay his knife on the neck of dumb
and mute animals who, themselves living on grass and garbage, yield
milk and go under the plough for him. This inhuman, veritably primitive
aspect of his life, man has to foreswear. Until he rids himself of it,
abiding thought of peace and justice could not find place in his heart
and he will not have the face to talk of those exalted virtues. To talk
of peace and amity on the one hand and to ceaselessly run this slaughter
of living beings on the other is the height of anomaly and incongruity.
This is an ugly stigma on his soul and a denial of his reason. Man has
got to abjure it. And the aim of this World Congress of Vegetarians
is to deliver the human race of this sin.

I must also address a word to the Government of West Bengal since this
momentous Session is being held on their soil. Meat eating is more universal
and more prominent in this State than perhaps anywhere else in the country.
The practice of sacrificing living animals to deities is also widely
prevalent here. Indeed, many religious rites and ceremonies are performed
which necessarily involve violence to animals. Lest people conclude
otherwise, I would like to make it known to all that even here non-vegetarianism
was never a practice with the learned ones or an ideal with the common
folk in the past. There have been a number of saints who raised their
voices, too, against meat eating. The name of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
is the most outstanding. So is that of Shri Rain Krishna Paramhansa.
The Government of West Bengal would do well to give widest publication
to the relevant parts of the preachings of these two saints who are
greatly revered by people even to-day."

Sri Prakasa, Governor of Bombay
"We in India are doubtless no strangers to vegetarianism. There
are many communities amongst us which are vegetarian by birth, and social
and religious tradition, and any talk on the subject certainly sounds
quite familiar to us all, whether vegetarians or not. We have, therefore,
to be particularly grateful to men and women coming from other lands
where, apart from a few persons who by conviction become vegetarians,
the population eats meat without feeling that there is anything wrong
in it, and even laughs at those who do not do so, or suggest that this
should not be done. There is no moral or religious tradition among them,
as there is among certain sections of our own people here, that meat
eating is morally wrong. We are thankful to them for standing for vegetarianism,
and trying to win over as many as possible to the good cause.

The problem of vegetarianism has to be looked at from many standpoints.
It is not merely a question of not taking flesh of animals for food;
it stands for a definite code of conduct, a way of life, and an attitude
of mind. There are many persons in our country who are satisfied by
the fact that they do not eat meat them-selves. They feel that their
duty is finished with that, and that, therefore, there is nothing that
need trouble their consciences. It would not have mattered if things
ended there. Many such vegetarians are inclined to lay the soothing
unction to their souls that they themselves are very pious, righteous
and good while those that are not vegetarians are necessarily evil folk.
They are inclined to look down upon those who are not of their way of
thinking, and withdraw into their own shells, so to say, feeling happy
and pleased with themselves. This further leads to their being indifferent
to what is actually going on in the world. They themselves do not take
any active interest in the care and protection of animals; they do not
see what is happening to these helpless creatures ; and are in many
ways unkind, even if that may only be indirectly. They cannot, however,
divest themselves of responsibility for the evil that goes on unchecked
around them."